UPDATED: Metamorphosis of the Common Mormon (02/11/2008) Unknown Swallowtail Butterfly from “Only Eddie Knows Where” is a Common Mormon

bugman

February 9th, 2008 at 1:00 am

Categories

swallowtail caterpillars, swallowtails

Please help to identify this butterfly
Hi there,
I managed to keep 3 caterpillars that were destroying my curry leaf plant & one of them transformed into this beautiful butterfly. Attached is the shot of the butterfly that I took before I set it off free. Please can you help identify this species of butterfly? Thanks a lot for your help. Cheers,
Eddie

Hi Eddie,
The best we can do without a location of origin is a Swallowtail Butterfly in the family Papilio.

Oh I’m so sorry Daniel…..I’m from Singapore. Appreciate your help. Cheers,
Eddie

That was a big help Eddie. Your butterfly is a Common Mormon, Papilio polytes romulus. We are thrilled that our search led us to a Butterflies of Singapore website.

Hi Daniel,
You & Lisa are the greatest Thanks for everything & also leading me to the Butterflies of Singapore website. Never knew it existed. If you need photos of the Common Mormon in the caterpillar & chrysalis stages, I will be glad to forward them to you for your “What’s that bug?” website. Thanks once again & keep up the good work.
Eddie

Wow Eddie,
We couldn’t have hoped for better photos. Thanks for creating this awesome metamorphosis documentation of the Common Mormon from Singapore for our site. Your photos demonstrate two significant characteristics of the genus Papilio. First, the caterpillar photo shows the Osmeterium or scent gland. Caterpillars in the genus Papilio possess a hidden scent gland that is often brightly colored and forked in shape. It is hidden and only appears when the caterpillar is threatened. Your chrysalis photo shows the silken girdle that keeps the pupa upright, another characteristic of the genus Papilio.